Is this bus really worth that price?

[Haley]

Considering I'll be converting it and everything, is this short bus worth it?

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/4705627864.html

 

[kaichulita]

You should ask how many miles are on that thing. I'm not a car expert, but that definitely factors into the price... I was looking around on google for how much that bus costs and I saw a couple people say they're around $2500-$3000. I'm not quite sure though.

 

[Haley]

You should ask how many miles are on that thing. I'm not a car expert, but that definitely factors into the price... I was looking around on google for how much that bus costs and I saw a couple people say they're around $2500-$3000. I'm not quite sure though.

There are 170k!

 

[Matt Derrick]

hmmm... i guess it depends on specifically what you want to do with it. you say you want to convert it, but are you planning on putting a lot of miles on it? will you be traveling frequently? 170k of mileage is not extreme but a little high. also keep in mind that this is a gas engine, so you have at most around 130,000 miles before it's going to need an extensive rehauling of the engine (and possible total replacement) as these kinds of engines rarely last past 300k without serious problems.

i like the size, it's kinda in the middle without being a full size bus (which can be a pain to drive sometimes). what's the gas mileage? i'm going to guess it's around 10/mpg.

bottom line is if you're patient, you can definitely find a better deal. the thing to keep in mind here is that it's a 1987, which is pretty old. i assume that's why he spent so much money getting it up to spec. also, $9,000 seems a little high for the things he listed fixing, and out of those listed, ignore everything except for the suspension, tires, and fuel pump the rest is just padding (things that he's listing to make it sound better than it is).

if it was me in your shoes... i'd pass. you can easily get a full size school bus for less, or you could get a really nice short bus for about the same price, and both of them would be about 10-15 years newer than this bus. for 5 grand, i wouldn't settle for anything older than a 1997.

also, i'd consider looking at diesel engines since they're made to last significantly longer (500,000+ miles) although your fuel costs will be higher, they tend to have better gas mileage since they're more fuel efficient, and if you want to do a veggie oil conversion at some point, you can do that too. also, stick to an automatic, driving stick on big vehicles in fucking scary in my opinion.

anyways, i hope that helps!

 

[Matt Derrick]

oh, something else to consider besides craigslist, is to call around local school districts and ask if they're selling any of their buses (tell them you're looking to convert it into an RV). absolutely, without a doubt, the best deals you will find are from school districts in little bumfuck towns. the school my dad teaches at just sold a bus very similar to this for $600. and keep in mind that the more recently a bus was in service (at a school) the more tip-top shape that vehicle is going to be in, since schools have to keep those vehicles up to department of transportation standards, and they carry kids, so they gotta be in top shape or the county will be in a world of shit if something bad happens. which, for you, is a good thing, cause you're getting a school bus for dirt cheap in immaculate shape maintained by professionals for pretty much it's whole life.

 

[Matt Derrick]

sorry i forgot to mention why they're so cheap. it's cause they barely do any advertising, and when it goes to (private) auction there's very few bidders, often going to the first bidder cause they're no others.

 

[Haley]

Thanks, Matt- All of what you said sounds reasonable. I realized what he was putting was just to make it sound better. Hahaha
And yes, I'm looking to get a shorter bus- A full size one sounds like too much for me to handle, to be honest.
I didn't think about calling local school districts... I'm sure there are plenty of busses they're trying to get rid of here in Nevada.

 

[Deleted member 20]

Absolutely NOT!. For that price you should be buying a complete camper conversion. The costs to convert theses buses greatly overprices the actual resale value. Its best to buy someone elses project with all the heavy lifting done & renovate to fit your needs. If I had $4450 I could be in a full size bus with all the creature comforts of an RV. Most don't go the extra mile with a generator & shore power system, roof deck, rear porch & or working plumbing with fresh water capacity & black/grey water storage but Id rather get something somebody spent $7-10k buying & building & then add those items & decorate it to fit my style.

Good luck.

 

[Matt Derrick]

Yeah I think the whole point of buying a school bus is so that you can build it up exactly the way you want it.

 

[Joshicus]

Imo, only thing that bus has going for it is the unique looking front end.

 

[Haley]

...See, I'm unsure where I would start with trying to find where the school districts would be selling or auctioning their old stock. They say you can find everything on the internet, but I've not had much luck.

 

[Matt Derrick]

Unfortunately you're just going to have to call them. Their auction are rarely made public. At least that's the way it is out where my parents live.

 

[Corinne]

looks worth it to me! but still try to haggle it down